Beverage Capsule Wall That Swells to Maintain Pressure Sealing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing beverage preparation systems face challenges in creating an effective sealing contact between the capsule and the enclosing member to prevent leakage, particularly when using biodegradable materials that do not maintain a seal under pressure and temperature changes.

Innovation Solution

A beverage preparation system utilizing a capsule with a biodegradable, starch-based material that expands upon wetting to form or reinforce a sealing contact with the enclosing member, allowing for a thin-walled structure and efficient beverage production without requiring resilient or deformable materials.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If biodegradable materials are used for the capsule wall, then environmental sustainability is improved, but sealing contact reliability deteriorates under pressure and temperature changes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing contact reliabilityVSAvoidmaterial biodegradability limitation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The material undergoes a parameter change from dry state to wet state, where absorption of liquid causes expansion and transformation of physical properties. This enables the biodegradable material to achieve sealing reliability comparable to traditional materials when wetted, resolving the contradiction between biodegradability and sealing performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The capsule wall is pre-designed with hydrophilic properties and expansion characteristics before use. When liquid is introduced, the material automatically activates its sealing function through pre-programmed expansion, eliminating the need for additional sealing mechanisms and maintaining reliability with biodegradable materials.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Object-affected harmful factors

If traditional resilient materials are used for sealing, then sealing contact is maintained under pressure, but material cost and environmental impact increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenvironmental impactVSAvoidsealing contact maintenance

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention uses a disposable capsule with a biodegradable wall that performs sealing function through liquid-induced expansion. This single-use approach eliminates the need for expensive, durable resilient sealing materials while maintaining sealing reliability during the beverage preparation process, reducing both cost and environmental impact.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The traditional mechanical resilient sealing system is replaced with a chemical/physical system where liquid absorption triggers material expansion. This substitution eliminates the need for elastic properties and resilient materials, using instead the interaction between liquid and hydrophilic material to achieve sealing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Quantity of substance

If capsule wall is made thin for biodegradability, then material cost and environmental impact are reduced, but sealing capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvematerial quantityVSAvoidsealing contact formation

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The thin wall material undergoes parameter change through liquid absorption, expanding in volume and altering its physical properties. This transformation compensates for the initial thinness, enabling the material to form effective sealing contact despite using minimal material quantity, thus resolving the contradiction between material reduction and sealing capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The system achieves a reliable sealing contact through material expansion, ensuring effective beverage preparation and containment while maintaining biodegradability and reducing material costs and environmental impact.

Implementation Method 1

a wall of the capsule includes a material which, upon being wettened, expands such that a sealing contact between the capsule and the enclosing member is formed or reinforced

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAbsorption: Absorption (physical)

Implementation Method 2

the material swells as result of absorbing the liquid or beverage

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSwelling: Hydrogel

Data Source

PatentEP2367739B2Beverage preparation

Publication Date: 2017.02.22 SARA LEE DE NV

AI summary

A beverage preparation system comprising a capsule for containing a beverage ingredient and a beverage preparation device comprising an enclosing member for enclosing the capsule, the system being operable such that a liquid under pressure enters the capsule in order to interact with the beverage ingredients and produce a beverage that exits the capsule, wherein a wall of the capsule includes a material which, upon being wettened, expands such that a sealing contact between the capsule and the enclosing member is formed or reinforced.